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Huawei Mate 20 Pro vs. iPhone XS, Pixel 3, Galaxy S9: Every spec, compared

Huawei is bringing interesting new features to its latest phones, so we broke down the numbers for how the Mates compare to the hottest handsets right now.

Jason Parker Senior Editor / Reviews - Software
Jason Parker has been at CNET for nearly 15 years. He is the senior editor in charge of iOS software and has become an expert reviewer of the software that runs on each new Apple device. He now spends most of his time covering Apple iOS releases and third-party apps.
Jason Parker
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Josh Miller/CNET

Amid the hoopla of all the top phone launches from Apple , Samsung and the recently released Google Pixel 3 , Huawei had its own ideas for how to wow its userbase with features not found in other phones . Even though its latest Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro won't see wide distribution in the west, with most of its phones slated for release in China, the company had a few tricks up its sleeve to differentiate it from the other big names. 

What kind of unique features are we talking about? Well, you can use your Mate as a wireless charger for starters -- for other phones! That means if your Mate is plugged in, you'll be able to charge other phones wirelessly. Like the iPhone XS , it has Face ID, but it also has an on-screen fingerprint sensor -- something a lot of people thought might come to the newest iPhones, but instead it's the Huawei Mate that has the feature. The Mate also has three rear-facing cameras, one each for telephoto, wide angle and super wide angle. These are all interesting features that make it a worthwhile contender if you live where Huawei phones are available. 

Three cameras and a bonkers charging trick? Meet the Huawei Mate 20 Pro

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To break it down even further, we put Huawei's new phones side-by-side with today's top phones to see how they stack up against one another.   

Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro vs. top phones


Huawei Mate 20Huawei Mate 20 ProiPhone XSGoogle Pixel 3Samsung Galaxy S9
Display size, resolution 6.53-inch; 2,244x1,080 pixels6.39-inch; 3,120x1,440 pixels5.8-inch Super Retina OLED; 2,436x1,125 pixels5.5-inch "flexible" OLED; 2,280x1,080 pixels5.8-inch; 2,960x1,440 pixels
Pixel density

458 ppi443 ppi570 ppi
Dimensions (inches) 6.2x3x0.33 in.6.2x2.8x0.33 in.5.7x2.8x0.3 in.5.7x2.7x0.3 in.5.81x2.70x0.33 in.
Dimensions (millimeters) 158.2x77.2x8.3 mm157.8x72.3x8.6 mm143.6x70.9x7.7 mm145.6x68.2x7.9 mm147.7x68.7x8.5 mm
Weight (ounces, grams) 6.6 oz., 188g6.6 oz., 189g6.2 oz.; 177g5.2 oz.; 148g5.75 oz.; 163g
Mobile software Android 9.0Android 9.0iOS 12Android 9 PieAndroid 8.0 Oreo
Camera 12-megapixel +16MP+8MP40-megapixel +20MP+8MPDual 12-megapixel12.2-megapixel12-megapixel
Front-facing camera 24-megapixel24-megapixel7-megapixel with Face IDDual 8-megapixel8-megapixel
Video capture 4K4K4K4K4K
Processor Kirin 980Kirin 980Apple A12 BionicQualcomm Snapdragon 845 (2.5GHz + 1.6GHz octa-core)Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor (2.8GHz + 1.7GHz octa-core), or Samsung Exynos 9810 (2.7 GHz + 1.7 GHz octa-core)
Storage 128GB128GB64GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 128GB64GB, 128GB, 256GB
RAM 4GB/6GB6GB/8GBNot disclosed4GB4GB
Expandable storage 256GB256GBNoneNone400GB
Battery 4,000mAh 4,200mAhNot disclosed, but Apple claims it will last 30 min. longer than iPhone X2,915mAh3,000mAh
Fingerprint sensor Back coverIn-screenNone (Face ID)Back coverBack
Connector USB-CUSB-CLightningUSB-CUSB-C
Headphone jack NoNoNoNoYes
Special features Triple-camera arrayReverse charging, facial and in-screen fingerprint security and a triple-camera arrayWater-resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging; Face ID; MemojiIPX8, wireless charging support, Pixel Buds USB-C headphones in the boxDual-aperture camera, water-resistant (IP68); super slo-mo video; wireless charging; iris scanning
Price off-contract (USD) $925 (128GB, 4GB RAM), $983 (128GB, 6GB RAM)$1,215 (128GB, 6GB RAM)$999 (64GB), $1,149 (256GB), $1,349 (512GB)$799 (64GB); $899 (128GB)Varies: $720-$800 (64GB)
Price (GBP) £790 (128GB, 4GB RAM)£920 (128GB, 6GB RAM)£999 (64GB), £1,149 (256GB), £1,349 (512GB)£739 (64GB); £839 (128GB)£739
Price (AUD) AU$1,500 (128GB, 4GB RAM)AU$1,700 (128GB 6GB RAM)AU$1,629 (64GB), AU$1,879 (256GB), AU$2,199 (512GB)AU$1,199 (64GB); AU$1,349 (128GB) AU$1,199 (64GB), AU$1,349 (256GB)